He lets me call him Frank now
by werks
Summary: S1-01: An unusual accident leaves Jamie fighting for his life. Will Danny get there in time? A lot of Jamko and Danny/Frank angst.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I wish I owned BlueBloods but I don't. I wrote this for fun so I thought I'd share after reading some of the great fics posted here. I'm not in law enforcement or in the medical field so I hope I didn't mess anything up too badly. Love the show. I like Jamie and Eddie's characters, love Frank and a good dose of brotherly angst with Danny. Not a big fan of Erin or Nicki so left them out for the most part.

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A smooth shaft of sunlight filtered through the corner of a bedroom window in the neatly appointed Lower East Side apartment, crawling slowly across the scattered blanket folds and heralding the arrival of an early summer morning. Almost on cue, the blinking alarm clock on the nearby nightstand broke the quiet stillness of the room with an ever-increasing volume of shrill tones designed to draw the occupant out of the depths of sleep. With a small groan and with his eyes remaining firmly closed against the intruding light, Jamie Reagan stretched his right arm towards the annoying sound and, with practiced aim, silenced the offending noise with a quick swipe of his hand across the sleep bar, granting a five minute stay of execution against the inevitable.

Far from feeling rested, Jamie paused briefly to reflect on the dull ache at the base of his skull before rolling onto his back and forcing his eyes open. It took a few moments before his muddled thoughts cleared and he remembered the cause behind his discomfort.

Danny.

To be fair it was the few tumblers of scotch he took solace in _after_ he hung up abruptly on his aggravated older brother that had clung to his brain through the night and contributed to a restless sleep. Danny. Damn it. After five years on patrol with the NYPD he could still get under Jamie's skin and dash his confidence in an instant with just a few gruffly uttered words.

"So Kid, a little birdie told me you are planning on sitting for the Sergeant's exam next month. Seriously? You think you are ready for that?"

Jamie wasn't even sure why he had been surprised at his brother's reaction, then again maybe he hadn't been. "You know Danny it figures you have to call me just to tell me I'm not good enough for something. I should expect it, it's not like you'd ever support anything I choose to do." With that he had hung up the phone.

Jamie swore Danny must have had TARU wire his apartment with a direct line to his older brother a few months back when they fortified his home against the threat from a vengeful thug after Jamie intervened in the man's abusive relationship with an ex-girlfriend. Of course Danny had seen the danger well before his little brother in that situation which culminated in his partner's kidnapping, several destroyed police cruisers and second degree burns on Jamie's arm from a Molotov cocktail thrown through the driver's side window while he and Eddie were on patrol.

Eddie. Thank God Danny's intuition had been right that day and they had rescued her before, well before... Jamie groaned and drew his hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose. Hard. He couldn't bring himself to go there again. He hadn't even mentioned his intention to take the exam to his partner Eddie. The feelings of insecurity surfaced again, the ones he had tried to wash away with alcohol last night. Maybe Danny was right, he wasn't ready for that kind of responsibility if he couldn't even recognize when he or his partner were in danger. Then again, maybe he had been too preoccupied with his feelings for her to notice. It was becoming more obvious to him that a decision needed to be made. He had to define this relationship with Eddie before something happened they would both regret. That had been part of his impulsive reasoning to take the upcoming Sergeant's exam. Perhaps if he passed and was offered a promotion it would knock him out of his comfort zone and force him to make a move. As much as he loved riding with Eddie as his partner he was starting to be certain he needed more at this point.

A soft click and the shrill tones from the alarm clock permeated the space again. Time to face the music, literally. Jamie swung his legs over the side of the bed, wincing at the discomfort the quick movement caused his tired brain and turned off the alarm again, this time permanently. On tap for today, a day tour followed by an evening gathering at his father's house in Bay Ridge for Sean's birthday party. Great. No avoiding the inevitable fallout with his big brother then, a brief glance at his phone showing a number of messages received from a familiar number after he silenced it. Jamie smirked. Danny really hated being dismissed. He was a little surprised he had not received a personal visit from his irate sibling yet this morning, but then he remembered Sean's birthday wish was to go whale watching today on a tour boat out of Rockaway, Queens. Linda had booked a family package for everyone with the exception of Jamie, who was scheduled to work, and Frank, who did not think his security detail would appreciate an afternoon on the high seas. Jamie thanked his lucky stars that not only would he not be trapped on a boat miles off the coast for hours with Danny today, but his brother would have limited cell phone access and therefore little chance to harass him further. He wondered if that was part of the appeal for Sean in scheduling the offshore adventure, knowing that his dad was often called away on a case during family outings. Smart kid.

With that thought, Jamie made his way to the bathroom for a quick shower and shave before dressing and grabbing a bite of breakfast with some coffee on his way out of the door on his way to work.


	2. Chapter 2

_Thanks for the reviews. Kinda nerve-wracking posting these chapters as I don't consider myself much of a fiction writer, but it was a fun challenge and kept me busy for a bit. Here goes..._

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Across town in a comfortable little home on Staten Island, Linda Reagan busied herself packing a cooler with enough drinks and sandwiches for small army. It was a beautiful calm Friday morning in mid-June, not a cloud showing in the soft blue sky as she glanced out of the kitchen window. "Perfect weather for a day at sea," she thought as she reached for a bag and some sunscreen. Truth be told, she was as happy as anyone else for a family day without distractions. After the shock and recovery of the hospital shooting, her focus had been on getting things back to normal as quickly as possible. With a sad smile, she acknowledged that fact her boys were growing up far too quickly and soon days like this would be more of a rarity than they already were. Family was more important than ever. Glancing over at the clock she realized she needed to get everyone moving if they were going to be on time. Erin and Nicki were picking up Henry and they were all planning to meet near the pier for a picnic before heading out on the boat for an afternoon tour.

Moving through the living room and over to the steps she called out, "Sean... Jack. Let's get a move on it guys, we have a big day today." Padded feet immediately hit the ground from the right side of the hallway and shuffled out into the open. Sean peeked over the top of the stairs with a hopeful smile.

"Is dad up yet?" Sean's biggest fear was that Danny had been called out to a scene in the middle of the night and would miss the big trip.

"Not yet bud, he's still in bed. Why don't you get dressed and I'll get him up and put him on pancake duty?" Linda smiled as her son disappeared. Judging from the muffled discontented noises emanating from above, she knew her youngest had instead made his way into Jack's room and jumped on his bed. Soon a series of thumps echoed down and that could only mean they were wrestling on the floor. Linda sighed. Jack was a teenager now and no longer interested in hanging out with his younger brother as much anymore, especially now that he had started to notice girls. He had protested when Linda informed him about today's special trip. Jack's friend Grant had invited him over to his house for the afternoon and he much rather would have spent his day playing video games with his buddies than sitting on a boat with his family hoping to see a whale swim by.

A soft clattering of a spoon stirring coffee caught Linda's ear and drew her attention back towards the kitchen. She frowned a little when she saw Danny's downturned disheveled face as he took the spoon out of the mug and set it down in the sink. He had come home late from work the night before and judging from his restlessness, it had not been a good night. Linda knew that sometimes it was better wait until he was ready to talk rather than to try to pry. Today though she wanted to clear the air before it carried over into their trip.

"You are awake, I thought you were still upstairs. What's going on with you? You look like you've just lost your best friend in the world," she commented and then immediately wished she could reach out and pull those words back as Danny's sad eyes met hers.

"I screwed up, Lin, with Jamie. Again."

Linda sighed knowing this was not going to be a quick fix. Jamie and Danny had been at odds more often than not the entire time she had known the Reagan family. Whether it was the age gap between the oldest and youngest siblings or just a clash of personal ideals, she was never sure. She did know that Jamie had always looked up to his older brother, searching for his approval, whether or not he wanted to admit it mattered greatly to him. Danny, on the other hand, had a penchant for being unrealistically hard on Jamie and had a difficult time acknowledging his younger brother was more than capable of excelling in whatever he approached. A high school valedictorian, top Harvard law school graduate, first in his NYPD Academy class and a kind and caring police officer who solved many problems with a different approach than the rather brusque one Danny was known for. They were indeed opposites and the moderate bridge that had connected them, their brother Joe, was gone for six years now. Still there had been a lot of progress in their relationship over the course of the past several years, but given the look on Danny's face at the moment, Linda could tell there had been a significant setback.

It did not escape her, the irony that upstairs her two young sons were following the natural progression of growing apart as they moved into the turbulent teen years while in front of her was a husband desperately wishing his own relationship with his brother was going in the opposite direction.

"What happened?" she asked, not sure if she really wanted an answer.

Danny paused to rub his hand over the day-old stubble on his cheek and take a sip of the much-needed caffeine. "I ran into Steve Eberts over at the 12th yesterday when I was dropping off some paperwork. He mentioned that he saw Jamie's name on the list of applicants for the next Sergeant's exam. It surprised me I guess. I thought the kid was set on being a detective like me and Joe." Danny swallowed hard at the mention of his deceased brother's name. "Instead it looks like he wants to stay out on the streets," he sighed.

Linda chose her words carefully. "Danny you know that Jamie is long overdue a promotion. He's been out of the academy for more than five years. No one will recommend him for detective for fear of it being seen as favoritism towards the Commissioner's son. It's been weighing on him for a while now. He probably sees this as an opportunity to advance without needing a supervisor to go out on a limb for him. Besides," she added, "Jamie likes working patrol. He's good with people. He would have never been happy behind a desk in a lawyer's office."

Danny frowned, knowing Linda was right. "I know, it's just… I just can't see Jamie as anything but my baby brother. I worry about him all the time. I'd rather have him safe in an office somewhere than out on the streets every day."

"I suppose you told him that. But Danny, he is nearly 30 years old. You have to see and treat him as the man he has become and not the little boy playing on the floor with his Legos," she paused before adding, "Jamie will always look up to you as his older brother, he wants your approval. When you cut him down like that it kills his confidence. That's what is going to get him hurt one day. He's had a lot of loss in his life the last few years. Your mom, Joe, changing careers, Sydney leaving, Vinny dying in his arms… he needs a reason to move forward. You need to start respecting his choices and supporting him. He's been successful at everything he has done."

"I know Lin, I regretted the words as soon as I said them," Danny confessed as he sipped his hot brew, "but now he won't pick up the phone. He's ignoring me," he added as his brow wrinkled. If there was one thing Danny Reagan hated, it was to be ignored.

"Well, give him some space and try apologizing tonight in person. _Without_ making a scene in front of the rest of the family at your son's party." Linda emphasized the first word of the last sentence, knowing that it would not take much of a spark to set Danny off in the wrong direction. "Now come on and go get dressed and let's get the pancakes started. We have to be at the pier to meet Erin, Nicki and Pop before eleven."

With that Linda was gone, back up the stairs to prod Sean and Jack along. Danny sighed and placed his now empty coffee mug and spoon in the dishwasher, careful not to draw his wife's ire by leaving them on the sink. With a still heavy heart, he grabbed his phone off the counter and sent one last text before taking the pancake mix out of the cabinet and getting started on breakfast.

 _I'm sorry J, let's talk tonight._


	3. Chapter 3

_Last bit of background before the action picks up in the next chapter..._

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Jamie arrived at the precinct and parked his car. After grabbing his phone and a bag from the back seat he locked the doors and made his way down the sidewalk towards the front door. His headache had subsided to a minor thud but there was still a trace of sadness in his chest, a heavy feeling that had settled there for many weeks now. The phone in his hand buzzed. It was a message from Danny. He hesitated for a second before shoving it back in his pocket. Not this time, the hurt was still too fresh. He wasn't ready to let it go just yet.

"Hey Reagan, wait up!" a cheery voice called out from behind him.

Jamie turned and let out an involuntary smile as his bubbly partner skipped up the walks behind him like a little school girl, her bright eyes meeting his own. Her blond hair was loose and she was dressed casually in jeans with flats and a light blue sweater. His heart skipped a beat. God, lately she was the only true light in his life. A reminder of all the good reasons he became a cop. But there was more to it than that, as much as he wanted to deny it. He couldn't help but feel better when Eddie was around.

"You okay Jamie?" Eddie squinted as she looked up at her partner. There was a smile on his face but it didn't quite reach his eyes as it normally did. Something had been bothering him for weeks. She knew that the wake of Linda's shooting had been hard on all of the Reagans but it seemed to be more than that.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just waiting for my caped sidekick to show up so we can go out and catch the bad guys," he quipped.

"Well my cape is still at the cleaners, but I'm sure I can improvise in a pinch," she joked as they made their way into the building and down the hall towards the locker rooms. "See ya at roll call."

The morning passed without incident. Jamie and Eddie had been assigned to patrol the east side of their district, which was comprised of quiet streets lined with smaller family shops and trendy boutiques. Foot traffic was light and the radio stayed silent for the most part. Jamie radioed in a 10-63 and they took their meal break on a shady bench overlooking a park.

"Jeez Reagan, I think this has been the easiest day we have ever had on beat. No one seems to need us today," Eddie lamented. "Even your family has been quiet. What, no crisis to manage?"

Jamie glanced at his watch. It was half past twelve. "It's Sean's birthday today. He wanted to go whale watching so Linda booked a trip for the whole family out of Rockaway this afternoon. Erin, Nicki and Pop went too. They must be far enough off shore not to have cell service by now. My dad's the only other Reagan left in town. We are all getting together at the house later for cake, which reminds me, I need to tell him to stop at the bakery on his way home. I promised Linda." He pulled out his phone and sent a brief message to his father.

"Danny Reagan trapped on a boat for a whole afternoon looking at fish? How did they ever get him to agree to that?" Eddie asked in wonder. "And why didn't you go along?" She frowned. It wasn't like Jamie to miss a family outing, especially when it involved his nephews.

"They are mammals Janko! I had enough with Danny on a boat when we went blue fishing last year," Jamie explained. "Pretty sure that's why dad backed out too. Danny's like a caged tiger after an hour or so. Besides we're not exactly on speaking terms right now," he confessed.

"Oh Jamie, I knew something was bothering you. What happened?" Eddie asked. "I thought the two of you had been getting along better lately?"

"We were. It's nothing. Same old stuff. I guess it just touched the wrong nerve this time," he admitted sadly gathering up the remnants of his lunch. "C'mon Eddie, it's time for this dynamic duo to hit the streets again. Maybe we can find some perps to arrest to make the afternoon more interesting."

Eddie watched as he made his way to the garbage can by the sidewalk and then back to the cruiser. Reluctantly she got up and followed. It hurt her heart to know that her partner and best friend was unhappy. Honestly she had known for some time now that she wanted something more than a work relationship with Jamie, but she was too scared of losing what they had to pursue it more openly. She vowed to get to the bottom of this dark cloud that had settled down on him. She missed his easy laugh and loved the way his eyes danced when he was truly excited about something. He was so handsome, and her heart beat a little faster just thinking about it. Perhaps it was something they both needed at this point.


	4. Chapter 4

Thanks for the likes and reviews! Honestly surprised anyone is reading it. :-)

As promised a longer chapter as the action gets rolling...

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The call they were waiting for came in just a few minutes later. "12-David, 10-30 robbery in progress. Purse snatch at corner of 10th and Elm. Suspect is reported to be a white male wearing a yellow windbreaker and blue jeans. Last spotted running north towards Chestnut."

"12-David show us responding," Eddie acknowledged. The serenity of the surrounding area was shattered as she hit the lights and sirens and Jamie sped towards the scene just three blocks away.

"Dollars to doughnuts he is heading up to the subway station on 13th. If we head across here we can cut him off," Jamie reasoned. Rounding the corner, he scanned the sidewalk hoping to catch a glimpse of the suspect among the other pedestrians. "There!" he exclaimed, slamming on the brakes and bringing the patrol car to a screeching halt in front of a narrow alleyway. A small patch of yellow ducked around the corner. "Eddie, take the car and cut him off. I'm going after him." With that Jamie was out of his seat and racing down the alley.

Eddie quickly slid over to the driver's seat and gunned the motor, hanging a left at the next intersection while relaying their position to Central. "12-David, Officer on foot in pursuit of suspect. Heading north in the alleyway between Chestnut and 12th."

"10-4 12-David" came the response.

Meanwhile Jamie was closing in on the perp in the yellow jacket. For a young man he wasn't very fast. "Amateur," Jamie thought, "who goes out stealing purses in a bright yellow coat?"

"Stop! NYPD!" Jamie shouted as he identified himself. Adrenaline surged through his veins as he neared his slowing target, his right hand slipping down towards his weapon. Trash piles littered each side of the small alley. Just as he passed a dilapidated shed, the winded suspect, sensing he had no real hope of outrunning the officer, suddenly stopped and began to turn only to be met with a strong tackle from a diving figure in blue. Both men landed amid half filled garbage bags and white plastic gallon bottles. Jamie's right shoulder slid over a bag, tearing it and bumping several of the nearby bottles, knocking them over and spilling their remaining contents onto the asphalt near his head. A sharp smell permeated the air. Undeterred, chest heaving from his sudden sprint, he quickly righted himself and grabbed the suspect's arm, pinning it behind him while pushing his knee into the struggling man's lower back. Within seconds the man's wrists were cuffed and Jamie was pulling him to his feet. He reached for the radio on his shoulder just as he saw Eddie pull the squad car up at the end of the row.

A few deep breaths and he had his heart rate back under control. "12-David Central. Be advised I have one under in the alley between Chestnut and 12th. Show us 10-81. No further response required."

"10-4, 12-David," came the reply.

"What's your name?" he directed at the suspect.

"Matthew Anderson," the trembling man replied. "I didn't do anything."

"Of course you didn't," Jamie replied as he patted him down and pulled a woman's handbag out of the big inside pocket of the man's coat. Giving a gentle prod towards the car, he continued, "However, you do have the right to remain silent. Anything you say will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney during interrogation; if you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed to you."

"Jamie! Everything okay?" Eddie asked as she hurried over while her partner was finishing reading the suspect his rights. Aside from a uniform in slight disrepair from his slide through the garbage, thankfully Jamie looked none the worse for wear.

"Yeah, we're good," he replied, pausing to take another deep breath and then clear his dry throat with a small cough. "Let's get this guy back to the precinct so the victim can ID him and we can get him booked. I'll even let you drive," he grinned as he mentally ducked the daggers her eyes shot back towards him.

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Forty-five minutes later at the precinct, 22-year-old Matthew Anderson, purse thief extraordinaire, was processed and placed in holding awaiting further proceedings. Eddie was filing her report with the desk Sergeant and waiting for Jamie to return from the locker room where he had gone to change his shirt after his run in with the garbage in the alley. Eddie had remarked that he smelled like a janitor's closet in the car on the way back and made him open the window. She glanced at her watch. A little less than three hours left to go on shift. She had hoped Jamie would be free for dinner and drinks tonight at their favorite after work spot but the mention of Sean's party had quashed that. She bit the inside of her cheek. If she weren't so afraid to bring her feelings out in the open, maybe she would be accompanying Jamie to the family gathering tonight. Her heart twinged at the thought. Since her father had gone to prison she missed the simple family interactions the most. Still the Reagans seemed to have such a strong bond, not to mention Jamie's father was the Police Commissioner and her ultimate boss. She had to admit they scared her a little.

"Hey, you ready to go back out?" she heard Jamie's voice from the hall. It sounded hoarse and strained. She turned to face him and frowned when she saw the paleness of his face against the sharp blue of his uniform.

"Jamie, what's wrong? You look awful!" Eddie exclaimed.

"Noth… thing," he stammered with a slight rasp. "I must just be coming down with a cold," he coughed, pausing to run his hands over his eyes where small dark spots were forming. "I'm fine," he said, trying his best to sound convincing, although he had to admit it suddenly seemed like all of the oxygen had been sucked out of the room. He leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes, trying to take a deep breath. The little black spots were now taking up a fascinating dance in front of his eyes.

"You do not look fine and there is no way you are going back out on patrol like this." Eddie went into momma bear mode and quickly made her way over to Sergeant Renzulli's office. She knocked on the door to get her superior's attention. "Sarge, please I think there's something wrong with Jamie," she said, the concern evident in her voice.

Jamie's former TO and partner was around his desk and into the hallway almost immediately. "What's going on with you, Harvard?" Renzulli asked as he reached the young man. Jamie's eyes flicked open, confusion starting to cloud them. His chest was heaving. "Here, let's get you sitting down," Renzulli grabbed his shoulders and with that Jamie found himself deposited on a nearby bench, curious officers starting to gather around as they spotted the commotion. The older man immediately noticed Jamie's pallor and rough, labored breathing. The kid was starting to look like a fish out of water. He loosened the young officer's tie and unbuttoned his shirt. "Jamie, hey c'mon. What's going on? Talk to me!" he urged.

"Not.. sure... Sarge," Jamie huffed. "Chest... is getting tight. Can't breathe."

"I need a bus here, NOW!" Renzulli barked and officers scattered in three directions at his order. The Sergeant looked over at Eddie who was kneeling next to the bench on Jamie's left side, shock mirrored on her face. "What the hell is going on with him Janko?" he demanded.

"I don't know Sarge, he… he was fine," she stuttered, her palms starting to sweat as her fear increased. "He collared a perp after a short chase in an alleyway about an hour ago but nothing happened… he was fine, I swear, except for…" she stopped, her mind suddenly snapping on a detail. "The smell! Jamie tackled the guy into a garbage pile and when he came back to the car his shirt smelled like cleaning products. Oh God!" she exclaimed as her eyes went back to Jamie's face, small beads of sweat forming along his brow as his efforts to take in air increased. "He must have breathed something in!"

Jamie was catching bits and pieces of the conversation as he sat on the bench, heart pounding, and each breath seemed to come at the expense of the next one. What he wouldn't give for some more air at this point. The corners of his vision were blurry but he could make out the concern in Renzulli and Eddie's faces. "Damn," he thought as he closed his eyes again, his head swimming, "this can't be good." Suddenly as fear gripped his heart he was filled with more than one regret and wished more than anything he had answered that text from Danny earlier.

"Sarge... please call... my dad," he sputtered.


	5. Chapter 5

Commissioner Frank Reagan was enjoying a quiet Friday afternoon at 1PP for a change. The weather was pleasant and his phone had remained uncharacteristically silent all day. With his DCPI Garrett Moore and the mayor both out on vacation the most pressing thing left on his calendar this afternoon was a trip to the bakery on the way home to pick up Sean's birthday cake for tonight's family gathering. Danny and Linda were going to order pizza on their way back to Bay Ridge after they returned from the boat tour, and with his father gone for the afternoon the house would be quiet with precious little to do. He didn't expect them to be back until at least six. Jamie had promised to come by after his tour, which would give him a little one-on-one time with his youngest. Frank frowned slightly. Jamie had been a bit sullen lately. Something was bothering the boy and Frank thought he had a good idea what it was. Last week after Sunday dinner he had found his youngest alone in the sunroom looking through the family albums, dwelling on the pictures from Danny and Linda's wedding and Jack, Sean and Nicki's baby portraits. It was five years since Sydney had broken the engagement and left. Jamie was feeling time pass and wondering what might have been, Frank reasoned sadly. Then again, perhaps it was more of what might be if he was reading his son correctly. Seeing Danny's reaction to Linda's shooting probably reaffirmed just what Jamie felt was lacking in his own life.

After the stress of the previous few weeks a break was in order and Frank knew his staff could use the same. "Baker," he summoned, "let my detail know we will be heading out early, and Abigail, please take the rest of the afternoon for yourself and enjoy your evening," he added. He knew his dedicated assistant had a much-anticipated dinner date in store for the night.

"Thank you sir, I will," she smiled as she headed back to her desk to finish a few tasks before she left.

Frank's phone buzzed just a couple of minutes after his black SUV pulled away from the office. "Baker," he said after checking the caller ID, "I thought I told you to take the rest of the afternoon off."

"Frank," she started and his heart instantly turned cold as ice dripped into his veins. That tone was reserved for very few things, none of them good. "Sir," she continued, "we just received a call from Sergeant Renzulli."

 _Renzulli_.

"What's happened?" he closed his eyes trying to quell the fear building up.

"Sir, Officer Reagan, Jamie, appears to have had suffered some sort of asthma attack at the precinct. He is en route to St. Victor's with the medics at this time."

Asthma? Frank slowly let his breath out; ironically unaware he had been holding it. Jamie had never suffered from asthma before although he was prone to bronchitis ever since he was a child. His son hadn't mentioned being sick when he texted earlier. "Do we know his status?" Frank managed to ask, fear still nagging at him.

"Sergeant Renzulli stated that the medics were able to stabilize him with oxygen and medication. He was conscious and alert when they loaded him in the ambulance. Officer Janko is with him," she reported.

"I'm on my way, thank you Baker, I'll handle it from here. Have a good night." Frank sighed and directed his driver to change course. Stabilized was good. Conscious was good. No traumatic injuries, all good. Still Frank could not escape the notion that there was more to this than had been relayed to his office. He glanced at his phone automatically reaching for Danny's speed dial number. It was just after two o'clock. The boat tour was not due back into port until at least five. Danny and the rest of the family were probably out of cell phone range for several more hours. He pressed the button to dial anyway, the call going directly to voicemail. "Hey Danny, it's dad... call me when you get this."

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By the time the ambulance pulled up to the Emergency receiving doors at the hospital, Jamie was feeling greatly relieved as lay propped up in a near sitting position. The oxygen mask had provided the air he had been so desperately seeking and whatever the medics had hastily injected into his IV had alleviated much of the pressure in his chest. He offered a small smile to the worried face peering at him. "I'm okay now Eddie, really," he said quietly and gripped her hand.

"Reagan, you scared the crap out of me. Do. Not. Do that again!" she emphasized as the ambulance doors swung open and the gurney was unloaded. A team of doctors and nurses met them at the entrance and whisked Jamie into the trauma bay. Eddie followed him until the last set of double doors, conveying the information about the possible chemical exposure to one of the doctors. At that point she was stopped by a nurse and directed to a private waiting room down the hall. Sergeant Renzulli arrived a few minutes later, having sent Eddie ahead in the ambulance to keep an eye on Jamie and speak to the doctors while he reported the events regarding the Commissioner's youngest to his superiors.

"Edit," he said, addressing her more informally outside of the precinct, "how is he?"

"He looked much better after they gave him some meds," she answered with a relieved sigh. "He was awake the whole time and talking to me. That was pretty scary though, I've never seen him like that before."

"Yeah, you think that's scary. You should try facing the Commissioner when something's happened to one of his kids," Renzulli stated, rubbing his hand nervously over the back of his head, knowing that at any minute Jamie's father and his detail would be arriving.

As if on cue the automatic doors at the end of the hallway opened and the impressive figure of Frank Reagan strode into sight, flanked from behind by his ever-present security detail. He looked composed, his Commissioner mask in place, but Renzulli could see the worried eyes of a father seeking him out as he neared the waiting room where they were standing.

"Commissioner, sir," Renzulli and Eddie both came to attention.

"At ease Sergeant," Frank stated, after returning their salute, "how is he?"

"Sir, the doctors are with him now. We haven't had any further news since he arrived, but Officer Janko reported Jamie was alert and oriented during the ride here from the precinct," Renzulli offered. "He started having a great deal of difficulty breathing while at the station. We believe his attack may have been brought on by an exposure to some chemicals in an alley while he was making an arrest of a robbery suspect earlier this afternoon."

"What type of chemicals?" Frank asked.

"Unknown, sir. Officer Janko reported an odor possibly that of a cleaning agent but nothing is confirmed at this time. I sent another patrol car back to the scene after this happened but they indicated that the trash had already been picked up and there was no sign of the owner at the residence."

"Thank you, Sergeant," Frank said as he pursed his lips, unable to detect what level of concern was required. Officer Janko looked rather shaken and was standing nervously with her right hand clenching her left arm. Frank strongly suspected there was something more between his son and his attractive young partner but there had never been more than a hint offered from Jamie on that subject. He wouldn't feel better until he saw him with his own eyes and spoke to the doctor in person. His wish was granted about an hour later when a nurse appeared in the doorway.

"Excuse me, Commissioner," she said in a very comforting voice, "Dr. Holden sent me to find you. I can take two of you back to see your son now, and the doctor will meet you in her office when she has the results of some tests."

"Thank you," Frank replied standing quickly. "Sergeant, why don't you return to the precinct and close out your tour. I'll call you with any updates. I'm sure Jamie would appreciate seeing his partner for a few minutes." Eddie looked up in surprise.

"Yes sir," Renzulli answered. "If you don't mind I'll stop by after shift and check in on him."

"Wouldn't have it any other way Tony," Frank smiled knowing how fond Renzulli was of Jamie. He reached out to shake the Sergeant's hand. "Thank you."

With that, Frank Reagan left the room to follow the nurse on his way to see Jamie and Eddie hurried to keep up with him. He reached down to answer his phone along the way.


	6. Chapter 6

Danny Reagan was a dedicated family man who would do almost anything for those he loved, no matter what it was, but by the end of the afternoon he was firmly convinced that he would never _ever_ step foot on another boat again for the rest of his life, no matter who asked him. The weather had been beautiful all day, the trip had gone well and Linda, the kids, Erin, Nicki and Pop had all been delighted with numerous sightings of whales and dolphins along their route. It had been the perfect relaxing afternoon. His family was happy and Linda told him how grateful she was that he had made this happen for them. No one could have asked for a better trip and Sean was thrilled but his father was now wearing a hole in the deck pacing anxiously back and forth as the boat made its way back to shore. They were still several miles out. He couldn't put a finger on it; maybe it was the sheer power of the ocean that made him feel very small and insignificant. Danny Reagan did not like feeling insignificant. Whatever it was he had done his best to control his anxiety but now that they were closing in on land it was on full display.

Danny pulled his phone from his pocket and turned it back on, relieved to finally see a bar showing for coverage. Messages started filtering in and he distracted himself by reading them. None from his brother Jamie, he noted with regret, but the one from his father caught his eye. He listened to the voicemail and then immediately called his dad, hoping it would go through, worry pricking at the hairs on the back of his neck.

The phone rang twice and he heard Frank's voice, "Danny, hey..."

"What's going on Dad?" he interrupted impatiently, feeling his nerves fray.

Linda looked out the window and saw Danny on the phone near the railing, a look of worry filling his face. She could tell without hearing a word that whatever it was, it was bad news. Danny pinched the bridge of his nose, nervously rubbed his brow and turned to look at the approaching land as if to judge the distance. She hurried out the door to his side just as he ended the call.

"Danny, honey, what is it?" she asked.

"Jamie," he swallowed, looking hollow, "he's, uh, had some kind of asthma attack after collaring a perp in an ally and breathing in some kind of chemical. He collapsed at the precinct. He's at St. Vic's. Dad's on his way in to see him now."

"Is he all right?" she queried, concerned at the news.

"Yeah, um, Dad thinks so. He needed oxygen in the ambulance but he was stable and talking to Janko when they brought him in. She's going in with Dad now. The doctor, Dr. Holden, she ran some tests and she's going to talk to them in a few minutes and he will call me back," Danny sighed. "God, Linda, of all days for this to happen..."

Linda wrapped her arms around her husband. "It's okay. It'll be okay. From the sound of it he just needed some oxygen for respiratory support. Dr. Holden is a pulmonologist. I know her; she's the best in the city. She'll take good care of Jamie," she reassured. "We should go inside and let Erin, Nicki and Pop know what's going on. We'll be at the dock in about 45 minutes. Guess the cake will have to wait," she added knowing all of the Reagans would be headed to the hospital once they heard the news.

###

Frank sighed as he hung up the phone. He had heard the fear in Danny's voice and he did not feel he had done enough to allay his son's concerns in their short conversation. No doubt that would be transmitted to the rest of the family. Maybe it would have been better if he had called Erin. Danny always took things like this the hardest, although judging from the look on Eddie's face as she followed him towards Jamie's room, in this instance his oldest son was going to have some competition in that regard.

He offered the nurse a tight-lipped smile as she waved them into an exam area. Jamie was awake, sitting up in the bed, his nose and mouth covered with a fogging plastic mask. A glowing pulse-ox monitor covered the index finger on his left hand and an IV drip was also set up on that side. Wires ran under his gown to his chest and back to the heart monitor, which offered a steady beep. As they entered the room, Frank was relieved to see his son turn his head towards them and offer a small smile.

"Hey Dad, Eddie," he rasped hoarsely.

"Son, how are you feeling?" Frank asked as he grabbed Jamie's right hand and enveloped it in his grasp, thankful to find it warm. From past experience, Frank always expected people who were sick in hospitals to have cold hands. His late wife Mary had always complained they kept the temperature in there just above freezing.

"I'm good now I think," Jamie replied as he scooted up in the bed. "Was a little worried earlier," he turned his attention to Eddie. "Thanks for helping me out back at the house. You okay partner?" he asked.

Eddie smiled in relief at seeing some of the color back in Jamie's cheeks. "I feel better too now that I've seen you. You sure know how to give a girl a scare though, Reagan," Eddie blushed feeling a little nervous speaking to Jamie in the presence of the Commissioner.

"Yeah, sorry about that. I feel pretty stupid now for taking that guy down like I did. Next time I'll try to avoid the flying leap into an unknown refuse pile without my cape," he coughed. Eddie and Frank exchanged a worried glance as Jamie closed his eyes and struggled a little to control his breathing again.

After a few minutes hiss nurse returned and pulled the curtain back. "Dr. Holden is ready to speak with you Commissioner, if you will please follow me. We are getting ready to move Jamie to a private room on the fourth floor. I'll take you there once you are finished with your meeting. This way."

Frank gave Jamie's hand a quick squeeze. "Alright son, you just rest and we'll be up to find you in a few minutes as soon as we're done speaking to the doctor." He motioned to Eddie to follow him out of the room. Jamie nodded and gave them both a smile and small wave goodbye.

"Sir, I'm sure you would rather speak to the doctor privately," she stated once they were in the hallway. "I can wait here."

"Please, Edit, at this point we're not on duty, call me Frank, and I would appreciate it if you could see the doctor with me. You were on scene when Jamie was exposed and you have been with him since. If she has any questions about what happened today I think you are probably in the best position to answer them," he explained.

"Okay, if you are sure, sir... Frank. I'm sorry but that will take some getting used to," she offered him a small grin, "I don't want to intrude."

"And you won't be," he smiled, his mood feeling much lighter now that he had seen his son, and they followed the nurse down the hall to Dr. Holden's office.


	7. Chapter 7

Dr. Ellen Holden was renowned in her field of pulmonology, as the many advanced degree certificates on her wall attested. She routinely dealt with serious cases of disease across a broad spectrum of patients, but she rarely was presented with a situation where she was dealing with the child of one of the most powerful men in the city. She tightened her lips and arranged the test results on her desk as she heard the steps approach outside her office door.

She stood as Frank Reagan entered the room, looking every bit as imposing in person as he appeared on television. In contrast, a very petite blond female police woman with a nametag reading "Janko" followed him in. Dr. Holden recognized her as the officer who had accompanied the Commissioner's son into the ER. She offered them a seat after she shook their hands. The nurse who had brought them there knowingly closed the door quietly behind her as she left.

"Commissioner," Dr. Holden began, wasting little time, her years of experience coming into play. There was no room for pleasantries; she needed to be blunt. "I have been attending to your son Jamison since his arrival in the emergency room. He was in a state of respiratory distress when the medics began to treat him in the field. At this point we have attempted to stabilize him with oxygen and steroid therapy. I have diagnosed him with Acute Chemical Pneumonitis, a type of pneumonia caused by the inhalation of a chemical substance, most likely chlorine bleach from what our tests have determined. It is possible there were other chemicals such as ammonia involved, as the response has been quite severe. The exposure has caused a delayed reaction in his lung tissue resulting in fluid buildup and swelling."

"It's Jamie, and I'm sorry, you said 'attempted to stabilize?'" Frank repeated, latching onto those words and now caught somewhat off guard by the doctor's tone. "What's his prognosis?" The fear was roaring back, wrapping icy tendrils around his heart. It was not often that Frank Reagan was blindsided. After speaking to his son, he hadn't been prepared for bad news. Pneumonia sounded a lot worse than asthma. Eddie glanced nervously at the doctor, her throat suddenly closing at the grim look she saw.

"I'm afraid that despite our aggressive intervention, at this point Jamie's oxygen level is starting to slip. His pulse-ox reading is back in the mid 80's and dropping again after improving initially. The steroids and oxygen he has received since arriving at the hospital have slowed the process but despite several therapies it is still progressing. Anything below 80 percent and we will be forced to intubate. At this moment I am not encouraged by the findings."

"His prognosis please," Frank edged, suddenly not really wanting to hear the truth, his heart beating out of his chest. He took Eddie's hand instinctively, she had paled at the doctor's first words and her skin was stone cold now.

"I'm sorry Commissioner. We will continue to do everything we can for Jamie and treat him aggressively, but the odds are not favorable, less than 20 percent," she added stoically.

"What?" Eddie found her voice but it was quivering, "surely there is... something. We just spoke with him!" she added angrily, refusing to believe what the doctor was saying, "he is looking better!"

Frank sat in silence, stunned at the news. He could not be losing another son, not like this. He had just seen Jamie, held his warm hand. He was joking with them. This could not be happening, not to his youngest, his baby, his gentle one. The son his wife made him promise on her deathbed to keep out of police work. Lawyers did not chase purse-snatchers down alleyways and then die because someone left out garbage.

"If Jamie's oxygen level dips below 80 percent intubation itself will likely not hold it high enough. His lungs will not be able to withstand forced ventilation for long in the condition they are in. Our only option will be to try ECMO – Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation – a bypass machine to oxygenate his blood and buy time while we try to allow his lungs to heal," Dr. Holden paused, allowing the news to sink in. She focused on Frank. "This is advanced life support. There are of course possible serious complications with this procedure but there is no other option. We will need your permission to take him to surgery to have the lines inserted."

With that a father's heart broke. Life support. She was asking him to give permission to put his own son, his boy, _Jamie,_ on life support. His mind was reeling. "So he doesn't know then?" Frank asked sadly, shifting in his chair and pushing his glasses back, still trying to absorb the information the doctor was presenting.

"No," Dr. Holden continued, "at this point it is imperative that Jamie remains calm. He consented to the initial treatment and gave you permission to make medical decisions on his behalf. At this point any undo stress will increase his heart rate and cause respiratory failure to occur sooner. Had we told him first it is not likely you would have had a chance to speak with him." Anticipating the next question she continued, "We are giving him some medication now to relax him. You may go back and sit with him again. If his stats drop to 80 or below, the nurse will come in and increase the sedation so we can intubate him and take him to surgery. That is why we moved him up to the fourth floor. He will need to be in a medically induced coma while intubated and on the bypass." She pursed her lips before adding, "I would anticipate having less than an hour now before we need to move him to surgery. You may have a few minutes to compose yourselves and then follow Nurse Taylor up to the room. She will have the necessary forms to sign. I'm sorry to be so abrupt but I must go and make sure everything is set up for the procedure." With that she stood up and nodded and was gone.

 _Less than an hour._

Frank, even in his numbed state, became aware that Eddie's hand was trembling as much as his own. He turned to face her and his heart clenched tighter as he saw the tears begin to spill down her face. "Eddie," he started, dropping all formality and searching for words. God, please help us through this he prayed silently. "Eddie we need to be strong for him right now."

Eddie blinked and took a deep breath and wiped the tears, "I... I'm so sorry sir, I... can't believe this... is happening. Jamie... I..." she trailed off, her mind blank.

In contrast, a thousand things ran through Frank's mind in that instant. Mary's smile announcing they were pregnant with their fourth child, the look in her eyes when they welcomed him into the world that cold Tuesday in October. All the birthdays, basketball and soccer games. High school and Harvard. His four children together at Sunday dinner. The night Mary died. Jamie's face at Joe's funeral and his 100-watt grin the day he graduated from the police academy. His determination to face off with Danny. The sadness when he announced that Sydney had left and he returned his mother's ring. The time the Blue Templar was taken down and when he saved Noble Sanfino's life. The way he coped with everything when Vinny died. The look on his face as he was paging through those photo albums last week. All that Jamie had to live for.

"Eddie," Frank began, swallowing hard, "Eddie, are you in love with my son?" he asked quietly.

All of Eddie's breath was expelled from her body at once, as if there had been anything remaining. She looked at Frank in shock. There was no universe imagined in which she expected that question from him. There were rules against this. How did he know?

"I... I..." she stammered. " I... yes, yes I am, sir," she admitted out loud for the first time ever.

Frank closed his eyes; he felt something unseen guiding him along. "He needs to know that Eddie. If that is what is in your heart he needs to know before…" he paused, gathering himself to continue, "he needs to know so that he has a reason to come back. Please Eddie, I'm so sorry to have to ask you to do this now, but if what you said is true please find a way to tell Jamie. I don't know why I know this is what he needs but I do. He will fight for you."

Eddie closed her eyes too. She held Frank's hand tighter. She was not a religious person but she couldn't deny she felt something telling her to go on, this was right. "Yes," she said, "yes I feel it too. I love him... truly just love him. I have for a long time but I was too scared to admit it. I need to let him know that," she paused, needing a second to breathe and for her mind to catch up with the words. "Let's go."

With that Frank and Eddie got up and went out into the hall, still holding hands like they were each other's lifelines. Nurse Taylor was waiting for them with a sympathetic eye. "Come this way," she motioned towards the elevator. The ride up to Room 402 was silent.

As the doors opened, Eddie wiped her tears, took a deep breath and fanned her face nervously. She didn't want to alarm Jamie by looking over emotional. "Go on," Frank encouraged, "I have some papers to sign and I have to call the family. I'll be back in a few minutes." It physically hurt to let go of Eddie's hand.

"Okay, I can do this," Eddie thought to herself as she paused at the doorway, "I have to."

With that she bit the inside of her cheek, forced a happy veneer on her face and walked into the room.

* * *

 _A/N - I have wanted to see some Jamie/Frank/Eddie scenes on the show forever so I made them up. If Jamko is not your thing it is best to move on now. ;-)_

 _Sorry if I got any of the technical medical stuff wrong. This story kind of wrote itself and is inspired by a mix of situations I know just enough about to be dangerous, lol. - In college, one of our dorm's cleaning ladies accidentally spilled bleach and ammonia together in the storage closet and passed away right outside my door. I woke up to find the resident from down the hall doing CPR on her. RIP Doris. The ECMO is from a friend's daughter who required that recently and the rest is from a family member who thought she was coming down with the flu at noon and ended up septic instead and in surgery and on a ventilator by midnight. She recovered thankfully, will Jamie?_


	8. Chapter 8

As Police Commissioner for New York City, Frank Reagan was used to signing orders of great magnitude. Never before had his hand shook so visibly as it did when he placed his signature on the forms consenting to Jamie's procedure. The list of possible complications alone was the stuff of nightmares. He could only pray that this would save his beloved son's life.

Frank found a quiet area to sit down and pulled out his phone, staring at it. It was quarter to five. The tour boat was due into port any minute now. Still it would be too late. By the doctor's estimation Jamie had less than 45 minutes before he would require intervention. Not enough time for Danny and the rest of the family to get here from the pier. Not enough time for hugs and goodbyes or poignant words. Not that Jamie was supposed to be subject to that anyway for fear it would close his window even more quickly. Frank inhaled deeply through his nose and pressed the number for Danny's cell.

It rang once.

Danny, Linda and the rest of the Reagan family were sitting along the boat's rail, somberly waiting for news about Jamie. Danny had explained what he knew from his first conversation with Frank, which had sounded positive, but they were all anxious to hear what the doctor had said. Danny's knee was bouncing incessantly. Erin was sitting lost in thought with her arms wrapped around Nicki. Henry was resting his head back against the boat, lips moving in quiet prayer. The boys were leaning on the railing, watching the water slip by. The captain had just announced they were five minutes out.

Although they were expecting it, the sound of the phone ringing still startled everyone. Danny picked it up immediately. "Dad, what did the doctor say?" he asked pointedly.

Six pairs of eyes locked on Danny's face. None of them missed the wave of disbelief that passed over it. "What?" he choked out, as Linda's hands immediately wrapped around him, holding him steady. "She said what?" he repeated, his face losing all color. Everyone waited in silence. "When?" he asked. It seemed like an eternity passed before he confirmed what they already knew.

"It's bad," he spoke out loud, shutting his eyes, his hand coming up to cover them, "Jamie has pneumonia and is going into respiratory failure. He's not getting enough oxygen. They're prepping him for some kind of life support."

"ECMO," Linda mouthed unbelievingly. "Oh no." She bowed her head, knowing from her nursing experience how serious that was.

Erin gripped Nicki harder in disbelief, tears rolling down both of their faces. Jack and Sean were scared, they were not used to seeing their father so emotional and they loved their uncle. Henry was speechless. He could not believe what was happening to his youngest grandson.

"No, I'm still here Dad," the tears were brimming in Danny's eyes, spilling over. "Dad… please... I know... no, no I _need_ to speak to him before... _please Dad I just need to say I'm sorry for_... because... okay, no I understand... Dad... please... tell him we are coming. Okay... okay... I love you. See you soon, the boat is just pulling in now." Danny let the phone drop to his lap, defeated. "Jamie doesn't know what's happening. They're trying to keep him relaxed. His stats are dropping, we'll never get there in time."

###

When Eddie entered Jamie's room, she found him in a similar setup to the way they had left him downstairs. His eyes were closed but he seemed to be breathing regularly although it was shallow and more pronounced; his chest was visibly straining a little now. The drugs, Eddie remembered, Dr. Holden had mentioned he was now being given some kind of sedation. She paused for a few minutes, trying to organize her thoughts when she glanced up at the monitor and saw his oxygen level was at 84. Eddie pulled a chair over to the side of the bed and reached for Jamie's hand. There wasn't much time to say what needed to be said.

His eyelids fluttered as her touch startled him. "Hey Jamie, I'm back," she forced a smile. "Your dad had some paperwork to sign to admit you. You're going to be here for a couple of days until they get you sorted," a white lie, she reasoned, "he'll be back in a few minutes."

"'Kay," he smiled back at her, "m'tired now." The mask muffled his voice but he made no attempt to remove it. He squeezed her hand.

"Yes they gave you a little something to help you rest, okay?" Eddie put both hands over Jamie's, "You have to stay relaxed, and it helps you breathe better."

"Yeah... feel better now," he closed his eyes for a few seconds, knowing it wasn't just the medication that was helping. "I'm glad you're here Eddie."

"Me too," Eddie heard a beep and glanced up to see the monitor drop to 83. Damn it, she thought. Please give me the strength to do this. "Jamie, you really scared me today. I thought I was too late."

"Sorry."

"No, please Jamie. I meant to say that I thought I wasn't going to get that chance to... define our relationship," she finished. Jamie's eyes opened wide and he fixed his gaze on her. Those beautiful tired hazel eyes looked right into her soul, and she hoped she could keep her fears hidden. Eddie grabbed his hand a little harder and held it to her face. "Remember that night in the bar when you came to find me before taking that lady doctor out on a date?" Jamie nodded, suddenly focused on where this was going. "I _was_ jealous of her, Reagan. Too afraid to lose you as a partner to admit it then, too insecure with myself to do anything about it... but I was so incredibly jealous and secretly happy when you broke it off with her," Eddie confessed.

Jamie soaked in what he had just heard. "You want to know... why I stopped seeing her?" He was speaking slowly, deliberately around each breath. "She... she wasn't you," he admitted with a small laugh and closed his eyes again. God, it felt so good to let that out. Maybe the drugs were helping to ease his inhibitions but here it was, now was the time. He had wasted too many opportunities before. His eyes blinked open, "You're the one light in my life... I... love you Edit Janko." His heart was beating faster, using up precious resources.

"Oh Jamison Reagan," Eddie closed her eyes and kissed the back of his hand, holding it tight. Then she smiled while a few tears found their way down her cheeks, her left hand reaching up to stroke his face, "I love you too, always have, from that first night I saw you out in front of the precinct, all dressed up like an Eagle Scout." She stood up and softly kissed his forehead, lingering just as she had during their first kiss that night that seemed so long ago. Jamie smiled back and closed his eyes while taking in the moment and remembering the magic.

"I guess... I need to tell dad," he smirked as she moved away, laying his head back on the pillow, suddenly overwhelmingly tired but flooded with happiness.

"Yeah well, he lets me call him Frank now," Eddie laughed, gently pushing some of his stray hair off to the side. "How weird is that? He already knows, lambchop. Your dad was a detective after all. I guess neither one of us was very good at hiding this."

Jamie smiled; there was no getting anything past his father, ever.

Frank leaned up against the wall out in the hallway, struggling to compose himself. His knees were weak. He could hear Eddie and Jamie through the open door. He knew what had been said and wanted to give them another few moments alone together. "Thank you Mary," he spoke silently to his beloved wife. "Please keep him safe. I'm sorry... I didn't," he stopped, thinking of the promise he failed to keep. "Please, I need you and Joe to help him stay here with us. He has so much to do yet. I can't lose him too."

Another beep, and the number dropped to 82.


	9. Chapter 9

Linda glanced at her husband as he drove their Jeep towards the hospital; he was back in Danny Reagan mode, jaw set and straight faced. The boys were in the back seat. Erin was following closely behind in her car with Nicki and Henry. Traffic was heavy at this time on a late Friday afternoon but they were making good time. Danny wasn't even driving fast. That concerned Linda a little.

"Danny, are you doing okay?" she asked, carefully gauging his reaction. It was worrisome when he was so quiet. She knew how much Jamie meant to him, even if the two of them sometimes had a hard time showing it.

"Yeah... I mean yeah, I think so. I guess." he said, slowing for a red light. They were nearly there. "Dad said... he, um... said that I couldn't talk to Jamie because... Linda, he said that we couldn't upset him or it would make his condition worse. My own brother..." he trailed off as his voice cracked.

"Danny, I'm sure he meant that he knew you were upset and you wouldn't be able to hide your emotions from Jamie."

"Yeah, well we all know what a bang up job I do at that," he sighed. Traffic was moving again. "I'm scared Linda, I'm scared I won't be able to say I'm sorry for what I did," he reached over to squeeze her hand, seeking the strength he knew she could give him.

###

Frank gave a soft knock before entering the room, his strong fatherly expression locked back firmly in place. Jamie and Eddie were still holding hands. "Okay, Jamie, I see they have you all settled. Dr. Holden said you need a few days of medication to help clear this up," he did his best to smile. "I also see that you're getting a little extra TLC now too, 'bout time son. Pop has been itching to add that chair back to the table for Sunday dinner for more than a year now."

"Everyone knew?" Jamie shook his head a little in wonder, feeling fuzzy. Eddie smiled and leaned in to rest her head softly on his chest. She could hear his heart beating and the raspiness of his breath as his chest heaved.

"Of course," Frank said as he came around the bed and gently took Jamie's other hand, careful not to dislodge the IV or all important oxygen monitor. "We're all looking forward to getting to know this wonderful young lady. You're a lucky man." His voice broke slightly with those last words, and he looked away to hide it but his son had not noticed. Eddie's quick glance up showed an 81 on the screen. Not much time.

"Yeah, 'mm... am," Jamie slurred slightly. His eyes were closed, heavy. He felt the darkness creeping up. So tired now. Frank's fingers tightened. Jamie's hand felt colder than before, he noted sadly. He covered it with both of his own, willing them to keep his son warm.

"Jamie, the rest of the family is on the way over. They had a great time on the boat trip, even Danny," he said.

"'D'nny... don't believe that... for... second."

"It's true," Frank knew he needed to tell Jamie what Danny desperately wanted his brother to hear. "Jamie... Danny said to tell you he was sorry for earlier. He was afraid you would be sleeping by the time he got here."

"S'okay... I know."

Another beep and the monitor was down to 80. Nurse Taylor entered almost immediately. She gave them a strained half smile as she adjusted the IV drip and injected something into the port. "Jamie, I'm giving you some medicine to make you very sleepy now. Your family will be here waiting when you wake up."

With that, Jamie's chest stilled and the monitor alarms started to go off. Eddie froze in disbelief but she and Frank were immediately ushered out as Dr. Holden and her medical staff rushed in to lower the bed and insert an airway into Jamie's throat. Once the doctor confirmed its placement, one nurse bagged him and the rest of the team worked efficiently to disconnect him from the equipment in the room and push his bed down the hallway towards the operating room. Eddie's knees buckled as the doors closed and he disappeared from sight. Her adrenaline was spent. Frank caught her and gently lowered her into a nearby chair. "Jamie, oh no please! I need him," was all she could manage as she sobbed into his jacket.

"Me too," Frank admitted as he held her close. "We all do."

Just then Danny Reagan stepped off the elevator and caught the look in his father's eyes. Linda had dropped him off at the front entrance while she went to park the car and he had rushed in, but it was too late. His shoulders sagged and his back slid down the wall.


	10. Chapter 10

_Thanks for the reviews and PMs! I'm glad you guys are enjoying it. This has been fun. I have the whole story written already so it is easy to add a chapter every day or so, I just tweak it here and there as I go. Starting to get some ideas for another to follow up on this one but that's for later. ;-)_

* * *

Two hours later the family was gathered in a large waiting room down the hall. Knowing the Commissioner's status and Linda's ties to the family, her co-workers and friends on the hospital staff did everything they could to ensure their privacy, even bringing up trays of food and coffee from the cafeteria. They were untouched. Dr. Holden had just been in to report the procedure had gone well and Jamie had been moved back to his room in the ICU, but that visitation would be restricted for a few more hours until she was sure his condition was stabilized. No one in the Reagan family had any intention of leaving before they saw him.

Eddie had regained her composure but Frank was keeping a close watch on her. He knew how difficult the situation was for her in a room of near strangers. He quietly asked Linda to take the younger women down to the nurses' staff area to freshen up. He hoped his daughter-in-law, with her strong maternal tendencies, would be able to comfort her. When they left Frank filled the rest of the family in on what had transpired before Jamie had been taken to surgery.

"Was he afraid?" Erin tearfully asked, not wanting to think that her baby brother felt fearful while he was being treated.

"No, I don't think so," Frank answered honestly. "He said he was when he had trouble breathing at the precinct but they had him well medicated here. He did not realize what was happening. Eddie did a good job at keeping him calm," he paused, twisting the wedding ring around his finger he had continued to wear all these years since his wife had passed, he knew Mary was there with him. "They finally made good on the opportunity to tell each other how they felt. He told her that he loved her just before she could say it herself. He was... happy," his voice broke a little as he glanced pointedly at Danny, not knowing yet what had transpired between the two brothers, "and at peace with everything. Then he got tired and they gave him more medication to put him to sleep so they could intubate him and take him to the OR."

Danny slumped back in his chair, he was relieved to hear his brother had not been scared or overtly angry with him, but he still needed to see and talk to Jamie. He leaned forward and rested his face in his hands. He prayed he would get the chance to make it right.

Renzulli joined them soon after, shocked to discover Jamie's condition had deteriorated so much since he had left. Frank apologized for not updating him earlier, but asked that he keep the situation quiet for now. He knew the officers at the 12th would come to show their support when word got out but right now things were delicate and Frank preferred to keep it in the family for as long as he could. He hadn't even contacted his staff yet. Tony sat quietly a few seats down from Henry and bowed his head. He was very close to Jamie and took the news hard.

Danny sighed and got up to get a cup of coffee at the table. He had the mother of all headaches. When he turned around he noticed Jack was sitting next to Sean with his arm around his little brother's shoulders and that his youngest's lips were quivering. He walked over to the boys, put his cup on the ground and knelt down to look Sean in the eye.

"Sean, buddy, it's okay. What's wrong?" he asked, feeling sorry that a fun birthday outing had turned into this terrible situation for his boy.

"My fault Dad," Sean sniffled, "I'm sorry."

"Sean, what are you talking about? Uncle Jamie had an accident at work. None of this is even close to being your fault, bud," Danny puzzled. Jack just shrugged; he had no idea why his brother felt that way.

"I… I wanted to go out on the boat… and then we couldn't get back in time. You hate boats. You couldn't talk to Uncle Jamie and tell him you were sorry," Sean threw his arms around Danny and sobbed into his neck.

"Hey Sean, no way bud, this is not on you," Danny pulled him away and looked into his son's face. "There is nothing for you to feel guilty about. I am the one who did something to make Uncle Jamie upset with me, not you, and I should have apologized to him and made it right before now. I may not be the best sailor in the world, but I absolutely did not hate the trip we took today. Look at these pictures," Danny said pulling out his phone and showing the boys shots of the family at the boat rail smiling with a big whale surfacing behind them. "We had an incredible experience. I wouldn't trade that for anything. Daddy just learned a big lesson about not saying things you'll regret to the people you care about. I know you guys sometimes get upset with each other too, that's normal for brothers. But we are family and love each other. Always make it right boys," and he drew them both in for a big hug.

Henry had been uncharacteristically quiet since the call came in from Frank on the boat. Seeing his son sitting alone in the corner of the room, he moved over to the chair next to him. "Francis," he said, "talk to me."

Frank kept his head down, staring at the floor tiles. He knew what was coming. "Not now Pop, I can't."

Henry persisted. "Likely or not likely?" referring to an NYPD phrase used to determine the prognosis for victims, whether they were likely to die or not. Frank had not shared Dr. Holden's specific thoughts on Jamie's chances with anyone else yet. "What did the doctor say?"

Frank sighed. His father was skilled at interrogation and was not about to give up until he got it out of him. He gave in without a fight. "Likely. Less than 20 percent," he said quietly so the rest of the room wouldn't hear.

"Oh, God," Henry breathed, feeling sorry now that he pressed, he could not fathom losing another grandson or to see his own son suffer such agony again, "but she doesn't know how stubborn Reagan men are. Jamie is a fighter. He'll make it Francis. He'll be bringing his pretty girl to Sunday dinner before we know it."

"I hope so Pop; I won't survive losing another," Frank said, looking up as Eddie and Linda returned to the room. He was glad to see Eddie sipping some tea from a mug and appearing less shell-shocked. He knew Linda would be able find a way to comfort her. His daughter-in-law was not a Reagan by blood, but she was the strongest mother figure in the family now.

Eddie gave Renzulli a small nod as she passed, knowing there would have to be some conversations about their working arrangements if... no when... Eddie corrected herself, when Jamie was well and returned to work. For now she could not allow herself to think differently. She sat down next to Linda and Erin who offered her a small friendly smile. Nicki had taken the boys to the gift shop to look for a present for Jamie. The Reagans were slightly less intimidating to her now as she spent more time around them.

A few hours later, Nurse Taylor came into the room and indicated that Dr. Holden felt Jamie had stabilized enough to receive limited visitors, permitting only two at a time for no more than ten minutes each hour. Still clinging onto Linda, Eddie wanted nothing more than to run right back to the room and hold Jamie again, but she could see that the Reagans, particularly Danny needed to go first.

Without any debate, Danny fell in step behind his father as they accompanied the nurse out of the room and down the hall. Knowing what he was about to see, Linda wished she had taken a few minutes to prepare him.


	11. Chapter 11

The walk down to the ICU was a short one. Dr. Holden was waiting for them outside the main doors with a chart in her hand. "Doctor, how is my son?" Frank cut to the point, leaving introductions for later. Danny looked on expectantly.

"Jamie is critical right now," she replied, "he is stabilizing but his body is still adapting to the treatment at this point and his oxygen level is fairly low but manageable. This is not unexpected as his lungs are quite compromised and he is not able to move very much air through the vent. The bypass is doing most of the work oxygenating his blood at this time. I am more concerned right now that he has had some periods of irregular heart rhythm. We are keeping a close eye on this and are treating it medically. It is a balancing act. This type of treatment is very hard on the patient's body. Please be mindful of this before going in and seeing your son. It is often a shock for the family. He is very ill and will look as such."

"How long will he have to be like this?" Danny asked, bracing himself for the answer. "I am Jamie's brother, Danny, by the way," he reached out to shake her hand.

"Ah yes, Linda's husband, so sorry to meet under these circumstances. Typically the treatment lasts between three to ten days. If we cannot get his lung function to improve by then recovery will not be likely. The longer he is on the bypass, the more rehabilitation he will require as well. Patients also tend to lose weight at a rapid pace. Your brother is already bordering on a slight build so he does not have a lot in reserve. The good news is he is young, otherwise physically healthy and not a smoker. These are all positive aspects," she reached back and hit the wall switch to open the door to allow them in the unit. "There is a lot of equipment in his room. For Jamie's safety, please have visitors stay on this side of the bed and do not touch any of the lines or incision sites. The nurses will show you proper hand washing procedures before you see him and we do ask that you gown and glove up as well."

"Thank you Dr. Holden," Frank nodded, anxious to see his son. He made his way into the unit but even with all his years of experience he was not prepared for what he found.

###

A short time later Frank and Danny returned to the waiting room, barely a word spoken between them. Dr. Holden had been right, seeing Jamie in his present condition was more difficult than either had imagined. Numerous wires, IVs and lines transporting blood back and forth were attached to every square inch of him it seemed. A ventilator was making a soft whooshing sound every few seconds, gently forcing air down a tube in his throat, the bypass machine in constant whirring motion, the beat of the heart monitor. But beyond that, while everything else was moving or making noise, Jamie was so eerily white and still. Jamie Reagan didn't often do still, not even in his sleep. As a child he was a ball of energy that rarely slowed down, always chattering away and grinning at something. Seeing him so pale and unresponsive was almost more than Frank and Danny could bear. Behind the hospital gowns they felt further separated from him and were hesitant to get too close – neither could bring themselves to do much more at first then stand back from his bedside, offer a few soft words and a gentle touch on his arm before the nurse indicated their time was up.

"Hey kid, it's me. I'm here. You're gonna be fine," was all that Danny could muster. There was no response. The beeping, whooshing and whirring continued in the same rhythm. Watching his little brother laid out like that... like Joe that night... Danny felt physically sick. He turned to leave. Once out in the hallway he angrily tore off the mask and paper gown and shoved them in the waste can then leaned his arm up against the wall and rested his head against it to wait for his father. Frank stayed for another few minutes and gave Jamie a gentle kiss on the forehead and muttered some words Danny was no longer there to hear.

"Dad," Danny managed to choke out just before they were at the door of the waiting room, "he looked like... just like he was already… I just can't... can't stand to see him like that." Suddenly his stomach seized and he dashed across the hall to the bathroom. He barely reached it in time before losing what was left of his early lunch. When the cramps subsided he sat back on the floor and rested his head against the cool tile wall. He felt helpless. When Linda had been shot he knew right after surgery that she was going to be fine, and he allowed himself to be distracted with the case and finding the shooter to cope with that. There was no one to blame for what happened to Jamie; no action he could take to make it better, and Danny Reagan did not know how he was going to handle that.

For Frank it suddenly seemed like he was a hundred years old, completely drained and used up. He didn't even try to hide it from the rest of the family when he walked back in the room.

###

All eyes were on Frank as he entered. His look said it all. Eddie's face fell and Erin rose immediately to hug her father and he held her tight. "Dad, please, how is he?" She pleaded, tears welling up again, "I need to know."

"Critical but stabilizing the doctor said," he answered. "She's a little worried about his heart rhythm now too. But it's... it... he... looks bad. It's a lot to take. Linda, Danny is across the hall. I think he needs you right now."

Linda hurried to the door. Seeing Frank's expression she could only imagine what Danny looked like at this point.

Frank turned to his father, "Pop, I think we need to get the family back to the house. Nicki and the boys... they can't see him like that. I'll call my detail and have them drive," he glanced over his shoulder, "Eddie too. She shouldn't be alone."

"Francis, I need to see my grandson, I can't just leave. He needs us! We can't just all leave him!" Henry's shoulders were back and he had a stubborn set to his jaw. Erin mirrored his look. This wasn't going to be easy.

"Pop, the doctor said he could be like this for up to ten days before we know if... what will happen. Danny... it was too much for him to see Jamie like that. We are going to have to take shifts and get some rest. Our house is closest and we need to be together. Please Pop, I'm asking you to take the family home and get everyone settled. Watch over them. I will stay tonight and ask the nurses to bring a cot in here. We can work out a schedule tomorrow."

"Dad, you can't be here by yourself. You can't be alone in case..." Erin couldn't finish. She cleared her throat. "I'm... I'm staying here with you tonight and that's final," she used her most authoritative voice, the one she inherited from her mother. Frank knew there was no sense in arguing. She was right.

###

Danny heard Linda calling his name but he made no effort to get up or respond. As much as he needed her at that very minute he just had no strength mentally or physically. Linda knocked then made her way into the bathroom.

She didn't even speak at first, just kneeled down and hugged him for a long time, kissing the top of his head. She could feel his exhaustion and sorrow. She took his face in her hands and looked right into his eyes, "It's going to be all right Danny. I know how bad it looks right now but you have to have faith in him. He's a Reagan, and he's going to fight."

Danny's sad eyes looked back. "Linda, he looked just like... just like Joe when we came to the hospital that night, like he's already gone. I just couldn't... couldn't be there for him. I had to leave. I was... sick. Damn it! Linda, he's going through all that and I had to come in here and be sick... couldn't even be strong for him." He paused, running his hand over his eyes, "I guess that's been the problem all along... always thinking about me... not there for him. He was right. I've never supported him in anything." Danny was crying freely now.

Linda wiped his tears. "Danny, honey, that's not true. You've just always wanted to protect him from... everything. It's how you feel about Erin, about Joe, but Jamie is the youngest, it's only natural for you to want to keep him safe. You're his big brother. He looks up to you. He loves you and nothing is ever going to change that. C'mon now, the rest of the family needs you too. We're all going to get through this together."

Danny remained on the floor. "Please honey let me help you. I'm here for you." Linda took his shoulders and guided him up into a standing position. She grabbed some paper towels, soaked them under the sink and cooled off his face. "Our boys need us. Let's go back in with the family."

Danny slowly followed, silently wondering what he had ever done in his life to deserve her.


	12. Chapter 12

If Frank thought getting past his father was going to be difficult, he underestimated Eddie. She would not, _could_ not leave until she saw Jamie again no matter how gently he tried to persuade her. He considered her family now and would not use his position as Commissioner against her in this matter. Finally, it was agreed that Eddie and Linda would take the next allotted visit and then return to Bay Ridge with Danny in the Jeep. Erin would stay the night with Frank at the hospital and his detail would take Henry, Sean, Jack and Nicki back to the home immediately. Renzulli sadly followed them out after promising to return and offering his help in any way needed. Frank asked him to inform the other officers at the 12th but out of respect to please keep them away from the hospital while things were so critical. He did not want the press fueled by their presence here.

Once that was settled, Frank took a few minutes to call Baker and bring her up to speed. She in turn filled in DCPI Moore who decided to return immediately from his vacation upstate after being informed of the situation. It was only a matter of time before the press got wind of the circumstances involving the Police Commissioner and his youngest son who was a frequent target for their news cycles. Frank knew his staff would handle everything to the best of their abilities and that Garrett would try to get out in front of the story with a conference the following day.

Eddie and Linda soon made their way down to the ICU. They followed the procedures and prepared to enter the room. Eddie took a deep breath and steeled herself as she stepped inside. She told herself she was tough enough to walk a beat as an NYPD police officer and no matter what she was going to be strong for Jamie because that's what he needed, she had his back and she felt that gentle force guiding her along again. It was comforting. Eddie made her way to Jamie's side and took a firm hold of his hand. She ignored all of the equipment keeping him alive and the mask that separated them and just focused on him, the man who had told her he loved her just a few terrifying hours ago. She knew she would need to break down later but for now she just wanted to let Jamie know she was there for him.

"Hey Jamie, I'm here again, okay?" she stroked his face gently with two fingers. "I'm going to be leaving for a few hours, your dad is insisting we go back to his house to get some rest. He's going to be here tonight with your sister though and I will be back tomorrow. That's a promise, that is if I survive a night at the Commissioner's house," she forced a laugh, rubbing his hand along her cheek as she stroked his hair. "If you would have told me I'd be doing that this morning when we started our tour I never would have believed it, but you know I'm not afraid of anything now if it's for you, lambchop." Eddie realized that in a sad twist of fate just before Jamie had collapsed at the precinct she had wished she could be joining him at the Reagan's for Sean's now forgotten party that very night. She laid her head down on his chest again, just like before, wanting to be as close to him as possible.

Even with her training as a nurse, Linda herself found it difficult to see Jamie in such a critical condition. He was only seven when she had first come around the family with Danny and she had watched him grow up. In some ways she was closer to him than her own siblings. She was amazed at the courage Eddie was showing, her voice was unwavering; it was obvious how much she loved him and that she would do anything for him. Linda couldn't picture Sydney, Jamie's former fiancé, ever having the same conviction when the two of them had been together. Even when Joe had passed it had seemed like Jamie had gone through much of that on his own, and when he graduated from the police academy Sydney had been quick to jump ship and fly off to London. As painful as it had been for Jamie, looking at the pair in front of her now, she thought that had probably been for the best.

After a few minutes, a tap at the door reminded them their time was short. Eddie sat up and gripped Jamie's hand tighter. "Okay Reagan, they are telling us we have to leave for a bit, but I'll be back in the morning. Your dad and sister will be in to see you soon." She leaned over and kissed his forehead and spoke softly, "I love you Jamison Reagan and don't you dare go anywhere, we've got too much to do."

Linda also kissed Jamie and said a few words. They both left the room and began taking off their gloves.

"Eddie, are you okay? I mean you were incredible. Not many people are strong enough to do what you just did," Linda said quietly.

Glancing up, Eddie could only nod before the tears came. "Jamie has always been there for me, through some pretty bad stuff," she whispered, her voice had not broken in front of Jamie but was now filled with emotion. "I love him and I need him to come back."

"He will for you," Linda assured and they made their way to the waiting room to collect Danny and say their goodbyes to Frank and Erin.

Frank stopped Linda as they were about to leave, his question written plainly on his face. "She's a keeper," Linda whispered as she gave him a hug. Frank's eyes filled and he nodded to himself and rubbed his mustache as he watched them walk out. He turned to Erin and sat down next to her, pulling her close to him. There was so much of Mary in all of his children but Jamie had always been special to his mother. He was the youngest, the easy child with the kind heart, the one she had always wished to protect the most. At times like this it was hard to be essentially a single father, and he missed his late wife terribly, but he knew it was Mary who was guiding them along. In his eyes she had always been the strong one and she was looking after Jamie now.


	13. Chapter 13

For Danny the drive back to his father's house in Bay Ridge was done on autopilot. He was emotionally spent and more than a little ashamed of himself for being so weak in front of the family, especially Linda and his father. That was not the Danny Reagan he was used to portraying – the tough guy that could face down any hardened criminal and drop them to their knees with his patented angry scowl. Instead he had found himself useless and crying on the bathroom floor when his brother had needed him most. Few words were spoken during the trip as the three of them came to terms with the events of the day. Linda knew she needed to talk to him privately but first they had to get Eddie settled.

Henry welcomed them at the front door when they arrived. He had already tended to the kids and sent them to bed. Although upset about their favorite uncle, they were very tired after their long day in the sun and soon fell asleep. "Come in, come in Eddie, don't be shy," he said, opening the door wide. "I'm so glad you decided to join us. Jamie would want to know that we are looking after you. I have some sandwiches and soup in the kitchen if you are hungry and Linda can help you get settled in the downstairs guest room. C'mon Danny," he said, grabbing his oldest grandson's shoulder, "now let's get you something to eat." Henry Reagan was in full patriarch mode now, he might not be able to do anything directly for Jamie at that moment, but by God he would make sure the rest of them were taken care of.

Linda showed Eddie to the guest room when she realized the young woman was still in her police uniform. "Hey Eddie we have to get you something more comfortable to sleep in," she said. "I think I have an extra pair of sweatpants in Danny's old room upstairs. Let's see what else we can find for you up there. Erin's stuff is all probably too long, she's so darn tall you know."

Eddie followed Linda up the stairs. "You still all have rooms here?" she asked.

"Yes, well a lot of times we will crash here if it's too late to drive home or if something comes up so we always have some spare clothes in the dressers. This is Jamie's room here," she said reaching in and flipping on the light. "Danny's is this one down the hall, Joe's over there, the kids use that mostly, and Erin's is across from the bathroom. You can take a look to see if Jamie has any t-shirts in the top drawer, and I'll go get those sweatpants for you."

Curious, Eddie stepped into Jamie's bedroom. It was neat as she imagined it would be and comfortably appointed like a typical older boy's room, probably just as it was when he left for college. The shelves were filled with books, family photos and a few sports trophies. Eddie went closer and gazed at one of the photos. It was Jamie at a graduation ceremony flanked by his father and mother. They were all smiling proudly. His mother was truly beautiful and he had her same expression. Eddie knew she had passed from cancer and imagined that it had been a terrible blow to this close-knit family. There were other photos of Jamie with Danny, Erin and another she imagined was Joe, the resemblance between the two younger brothers was striking. Feeling a bit as if she was intruding, Eddie turned back towards the bed to leave when she noticed one of Jamie's Harvard hoodies sitting folded on the corner. She had always loved seeing him in that hoodie after shift, he looked so comfortable, so handsome in it, like he just stepped off of a college campus. She picked it up off the bed and held it to her chest tightly, sinking to the floor. It smelled just like him. All of the bottled up emotions came flooding out and she brought her knees up and sobbed softly into the fabric. Linda came around the corner with the promised clothing and paused. She gently laid the items on the corner of the desk and closed the door to give Eddie some privacy before heading downstairs.

Henry looked up when she came in the kitchen. "Is Eddie all settled in the guest room?" he asked. Danny had already grabbed a drink and gone up the other stairs to his room. He couldn't eat and wanted to be alone. His grandfather was worried. Jamie was always the one who bottled up his emotions while Danny would tell the world what he was thinking. Seeing Danny Reagan closed up and shutting people out was not a good thing.

"Not yet, Pop," Linda answered, taking a glass down from the cupboard and getting the milk out of the refrigerator. "She's um, up in Jamie's room having a good cry right now. I was getting her some clothes to change into and told her she could have a look in there and... I think it's all just hitting her hard right now."

"Poor kid," Henry muttered, "this is tough on her. Francis told me she doesn't have family close by."

"Yeah well from what Frank told me and what I saw her do when we went in to see Jamie, she's one strong cookie." She smiled, and then added sadly, "You would have been really proud of her. She really loves him Pop. She'll fit right in around here as long as Jamie comes back to us."

"He will." Henry said with conviction. "He has too. None of us can bear to lose another." He paused, "Danny is really having a hard time with this. I've never seen him so... shaken. I couldn't believe he agreed to leave the hospital tonight without a fight. That's… it's not like him."

"I know, Pop," Linda admitted. "He and Jamie had a little argument the night before and he's feeling terribly guilty for not apologizing sooner, and then seeing Jamie with all those machines keeping him alive... it was just too much. I'm not sure how to help him right now."

"One breath at a time, Linda," Henry said hugging her. "We'll get through this, all of us."

###

The next few days were hard on everyone. Eddie and Frank were almost always present but all of the adult family members took shifts so that they could rest too. Jamie continued having occasional episodes of heart arrhythmias, which added to the tensions. A few times his hourly visits had to be curtailed while the doctors were working on him. His appearance was shocking as he was losing weight and condition at a rapid pace. It was getting more and more difficult to see him so ill. Dr. Holden had scheduled a consult with a premiere cardiologist and had asked the Reagans to be present for a family meeting that Monday night so she could go over the results and his ongoing treatment. Eddie was also in attendance at Frank's request. After the first night she had returned to sleeping at her own apartment but spent more time at the hospital than at home. Nicki had agreed to babysit Sean and Jack so the rest of the family could attend. The group was completely silent as the doctor walked in the door.

"Hello everyone, Commissioner," she stated and she placed her folders down on the conference table. As was her style, she cut immediately to the point. "As you know Jamie has been experiencing some arrhythmias while on his ECMO treatment which were concerning us. Dr. Abrams, the cardiologist I consulted, ran a full spectrum of tests on Jamie's heart function and each of them came back clear which is obviously good news. At this point all we can say is it appears that his heart is not happy with something, be it the stress of the illness or treatment I cannot say. We hope that as his recovery progresses these episodes will lessen and disappear."

"His heart's not happy," Danny muttered under his breath. He had been into see Jamie several times over the past few days and although he had tried, he still felt that he had not connected with his brother. The visitations allowed in the ICU were so short and twice he had been present when Jamie's cardiac monitor had gone off, indicating a problem, only to be whisked out of the room with his own heart frozen in fear. Twice he had looked on through the glass doors of the treatment room as the doctors had struggled to stabilize his brother. Danny himself was not looking well at this point, the stress of the situation and his own misgivings taking their toll with a lack of sleep and no real appetite. At his father's insistence he had taken a leave from work. Linda rested her hand on his knee in support. She had heard the quiet comment.

"Doctor, what about his lungs?" Frank prodded, thinking of the treatment window that had been mentioned earlier. Jamie was now looking far worse than before and his father's faith was being tested.

"On that front I also have some encouraging news," Dr. Holden admitted, shuffling the folders in front of her. "The latest tests and x-rays are showing a reduction in the amount of pulmonary edema. While slight, it is a step in the right direction. I am hoping that we have turned the corner on that, so to speak, and that his stats will begin to pick up to the point over the next few days where we can first wean him off the EMCO and then very gradually out of sedation and off the ventilator. It can be a long process. I must stress though that Jamie is still very ill and complications could present at any time. He is by no means out of the woods but he is fighting as hard as I've ever seen from a patient."

"What about permanent damage?" Eddie asked quietly, and then quickly regretted it thinking maybe she had overstepped her bounds. Frank took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze to let her know it was all right. They all held their breath waiting for the answer.

"It is much too soon to speculate on that," Dr. Holden answered. "Jamie's recovery is like a pyramid, our first priority is to get him strong enough to come off of the support and function on his own. All of the steps above that are dependent on the first. Best-case scenario is that after recovery and physical therapy he has no permanent impairments, but that is some distance down the road at this point. Even if he were to come off the equipment tomorrow he would still be looking at weeks, probably months of recovery time."

After responding to a few more questions, Dr. Holden took her leave. No one spoke at first, almost afraid to mention the word the doctor had used. Recovery.

"He's turning the corner," Henry was the first to break the silence. "Francis, she said he's turning the corner. Thank God! I knew Jamie was too tough to let this beat him!"

"Pop, she also said it's too soon to tell and there could still be complications," Frank reminded him, trying to remain objective although his heart was soaring with the first bit of hope they had seen since this nightmare had started. He closed his eyes and prayed silently, "Thank you Mary, Joe, please help bring him back to us."


	14. Chapter 14

For Jamie, his time in the induced coma was like one bizarre unending dream where he was floating underwater and strange figures were moving in the background behind white walls. He had no concept of time or what was going on around him. He had visions of his mother and Joe visiting him but their images were fleeting and he could not make out what they were saying. He swore though that he heard Eddie's voice telling him to stay; he had something to do, but he couldn't recall what it was. Slowly as he gained awareness, pain started to filter back into his thoughts. His chest felt like it was caught in a vise grip, every breath seemingly beyond his control, grating fire through his lungs. Try as he might he could not remember what had happened and he could not move as his entire body felt like it was made of lead. He wished he could slip back into that white world of blissful peace and away from the pain. It was Saturday, more than a full week on from his accident and Dr. Holden had started to wean him off of the heavy sedation to see if he could respond by breathing on his own. It was a gradual process that could take several days depending on how he reacted. Jamie's lungs had continued clearing and he was able to oxygenate with only the ventilator so with much relief to the family, the ECMO machine had been removed the day before.

Now that his condition had started to improve, the visitation guidelines were relaxed and the Reagans and Eddie were allowed to spend more time in the room. It was Monday morning before Dr. Holden thought they were at the point where Jamie could be allowed to regain full consciousness and she notified the family. She had adjusted the ventilator so it only forced air into his lungs if he wasn't breathing well on his own. Frank asked Eddie to come in to sit with him to help keep Jamie calm as he woke up. The doctor had apologized as she had the nurses put restraints on Jamie's arms. She explained that his first urge would be to remove the tube from his throat as it was so uncomfortable and that could cause permanent damage and endanger his swollen airway. Frank nodded but it hurt deeply to see his son tied down like that. Still it was the day they had all been praying for, the day Jamie would come back to them.

It was a few hours before it happened. Eddie felt Jamie's fingers twitch as she sat next to the bed holding his hand and resting her head against him. She sat up and stroked his face as she had been doing for more than a week. His eyes were moving underneath closed lids. "Jamie, can you hear me?" she asked as Frank woke up from where he had been dozing in an uncomfortable chair and moved over to the bed, enveloping Jamie's other hand in his grasp.

"Son, we're right here. Can you try to open your eyes?" he implored, hoping his voice would help guide Jamie back.

Jamie heard the deep rumbling of his father's voice, but he could not make out the words and it sounded as if it were coming from far away. Confusing images of Eddie walking down an alley holding a bright yellow umbrella and Danny catching a great big whale on a fishing line were flashing through his mind. Every so often something seemed wrong and air would rush into his lungs again making them feel like they would splinter into a thousand pieces. He grimaced when he frantically tried to control his breaths as he fought the vent. Soothing touches were rubbing his face and his hands and another softer voice was there, just beyond his reach. After a few minutes his breathing evened out and he felt closer to the surface. With great effort he managed to pry his eyes open. He scanned the blurry images until they cleared slightly and locked on the familiar face of his father.

"Hey," his dad's smiling face spoke, tears spilling from his eyes. Why was he crying? Jesus, Frank Reagan didn't cry unless something really bad had happened. Had something bad happened? Jamie could not remember. "There you are now, you're going to be all right. Okay? Just try to relax son."

Jamie blinked hard to clear the haze, his eyes shifted right and he recognized Eddie with her blond hair loose and cascading down to her shoulders. She was so beautiful but there were tears in her eyes too. "Damn," he thought. "What the hell is going on?" Why was Eddie here with his father? He realized with a start that he was in a hospital room. Had he been shot? Maybe that explained the fire in his chest he thought, panicking. He'd had his vest on right? He always wore his vest on the job. He closed his eyes. Memories of holding Eddie's hand and her kissing him flashed through his brain. Something about his grandfather and a dining room chair. Surely this was some kind of dream. Parts of it were a nightmare.

Suddenly he became aware of the tube in his throat and he reached for it instinctively but he couldn't bring his arm up. He felt something holding him down, his father telling him it was okay. He was struggling against the ventilator again as it clicked back on. Why were they doing this to him? Pain from that damn air forced down his throat racked his chest and he couldn't get away from it. Was he paralyzed? What exactly had happened? His mother and Joe were speaking to him through the white wall, telling him it was time to leave, he needed to go back for something. Reality and delirium were intertwined.

Slowly after some time Jamie's mind began to clear again and he heard his father and Eddie talking to him, calmly explaining that he had been sick with pneumonia but he was getting better now and as soon as the doctor felt he was strong enough she would take him off the ventilator. Pneumonia? He did not remember being sick. He tried to be careful but went off rhythm again and the air was forced down as he struggled to catch up. Tears of frustration rolled down his face; he felt so helpless with no way to communicate with his hands tied down and that damn tube in his throat. The pain was consuming his thoughts, and he closed his eyes tight to shut them out. He wanted to return to the white place but the wall was crumbling and disappearing leaving nothing behind.

"Jamie, please I know it's hard right now but you have to listen to me," his dad's voice was breaking through again. "Just breathe son; relax and breathe for me – just easy, in and out. Don't fight it. I know you have questions, okay? I'll try to answer some," he paused when he did not receive any acknowledgment and then added more forcibly in his deep authoritative tone, "Jamison Reagan, open your eyes now and blink once if you understand me and we'll go from there."

Jamie's sad hazel eyes slowly opened and turned obediently towards Frank; he could never ignore that voice. Was his father serious, though? He didn't have questions; he just wanted to leave, to run, to be anywhere but here... just away from the pain and this place where he was trapped. If he could only utter the words that were in his mind right now he would do his Irish heritage proud. Instead, he blinked because it was the only thing left for him.

"Good. Well done son. I'm sure you want to know when you can be taken off the ventilator." Jamie blinked, and his father continued, "Dr. Holden said that as long as you were able to breathe mainly on your own for the rest of the day today she can remove it tomorrow."

Jamie moved his right wrist slightly and rattled the restraint against the bed railing. Frank's strategy of distracting his son seemed to be working.

"Those were put there to keep you from harming yourself by trying to pull out the breathing tube when you were waking up," his father explained. "I know you hate that. As soon as we are done here I will find the doctor and see about getting them removed. But you have to promise to leave the tube in until she says you are ready to have it out, okay?" Jamie hesitated, and then tiredly blinked, rolling his eyes. This was overwhelming.

"You're doing great, Jamie," Eddie's voice floated in. His eyes tracked right and he looked at her. She leaned in and kissed him. Confusion clouded his mind. He had assumed what he was remembering about Eddie were broken parts of dreams, like the thousand other ones he'd had about her since the day they'd met, but she was actually here and had just kissed him in front of his father, right? Had he really told her that he loved her? It was too much. Jamie's tired brain ushered him towards the first non-drug induced sleep he'd had in more than a week. His eyes closed but he was breathing evenly as his body relaxed.

"I think he's asleep," Eddie whispered. "That was really hard on him, I'm not sure he understands what's going on," she added sadly. "I don't know what he remembers."

"Dr. Holden said it would be a process while the drugs are clearing his system," Frank agreed. "At least he was somewhat lucid there for a little while," he sighed and sat back in the chair, rubbing his temples. Jamie was so frail and had lost so much weight since becoming ill; it was painful to look at him. Danny wasn't the only one suffering from sleepless nights. Frank had spent most of the last week wandering aimlessly through the house when he wasn't at his son's side. He preferred that to the images that haunted his dreams. He wondered how long it would take before his youngest really recovered.

They sat with him the rest of the day until early evening but Jamie remained sleeping for the most part with only a few very brief periods of wakefulness. Dr. Holden was encouraged though as he had done well with his breathing. She gave him some medication to keep him sedated for the rest of the night and told them to return the next morning and she would remove the ventilator.


	15. Chapter 15

Danny Reagan's hands clutched the steering wheel as he navigated through morning traffic. Linda was by his side. His father had called last night and relayed the good news that Jamie had woken up briefly and was being taken off the ventilator this morning so they were on their way to the hospital. Danny had felt a pang of jealousy when Frank asked Eddie to sit with him while Jamie was being brought out of the coma. A huge gut-wrenching pang. He had always been at his father's side for something serious like that; _he_ was the family protector. He had promised Jamie when he was born that he would always be there for him. Now it seemed like everyone had acknowledged that Jamie was better off without Danny there to upset him and Eddie, it seemed, was taking his place.

Linda, noticing Danny's set look and white knuckled grip, attempted to diffuse the situation before they arrived. "You know if you hold the wheel any tighter it's going to snap in half," she commented.

Danny just glanced sideways at her. "Sorry," was all he said.

Linda had tried many times to get through to Danny during the past week. He had bottled up all of his emotions and continued to be restless at night. She knew he was still deeply hurt by the situation with Jamie, and tensions had been growing as Danny felt increasingly excluded. Now she was determined to deal with him before it escalated into something even more damaging.

"Danny, stop the car," she said firmly. "Pull over."

"What?" he asked, looking at her incredulously. "Linda, why? We'll be late!" he said with more than a little bit of anger.

"Pull over," she repeated. "We need to talk."

Shaking his head and gritting his teeth, Danny did as she asked, pulling off the street and into a spot. Frustrated, he slammed the car's gearshift into park and sat staring straight ahead. "You mind telling me why we are sitting here on the side of the road when we are supposed to be at the hospital meeting my father?" he spat.

"Danny I know this last week or so has been really difficult for you," Linda said, choosing her words carefully. "You felt guilty because you argued with Jamie about not supporting him. Then he got so sick and you were scared you were going to lose him. Terrified. We all were. I know how much you love him, Danny, and I know that now you are angry with your father for asking Eddie to step in yesterday. I don't want you to make another mistake."

"What are you talking about, Linda?" Danny asked, closing his eyes and trying his best to stay calm. It seemed like everyone doubted him, even his wife. He felt like putting a fist through the windshield. "What mistake am I going to make _now_?"

"Danny you can't go back and redo the past, but you can change the present. If Jamie was upset and felt like you weren't supporting him before, and you go to that hospital today with a giant chip on your shoulder you're going to say something else you'll regret and make things worse. You want to change and have a better connection with your brother? Start today and support his relationship with Eddie going forward. She's not taking your place, Danny, so you can't be angry with her. Your father is right; Jamie needed her to get through this. It's going to take him a long time to recover. They really love each other, she's good for him," she finished as she put her hand on his shoulder.

Danny dropped his head down on the steering wheel and sighed; he finally gave in and the wall around his heart crumbled a little. He knew Linda was right. He was hurt and would have found any reason to snap at Eddie or his father. His hands began to tremble and he could feel the stress of the past week ebbing away from him as the tears came again. He hadn't wanted to cry so much in one week since... Joe died. He was shaking as his pent up emotions released. Jamie was going to be all right; he was going to live. He still had a little brother that needed him. Linda's hands caressed his back. After a few minutes Danny sat up and gave her a wry smile, wiping his eyes. "You know, you're right about one thing; I can't be angry with Eddie, at least not now. I've seen her jump the leash at work and go off the walls to protect Jamie. She scares me a little, all five feet two of her," he quipped. "She even stood up to dad for him. I think mom would have really liked her."

His wife smiled. "Like I said, she's good for him. And where would you be without me?" she asked.

"Nowhere," he answered honestly. "I love you Linda Reagan."

"Love you more," she replied with a grin. "Now let's get to the hospital so you can talk to your kid brother. You've both been waiting a long time."

###

Dr. Holden was running late with another patient and by the time Danny and Linda arrived at the hospital and made their way to Jamie's room, Frank and Eddie were still waiting by his bedside for her to come in. Erin had a deposition she could not put off that morning so she was going to pick up Henry and come over when she was finished. The bed was raised so Jamie was more upright and the restraints had been removed from his wrists. His face was gaunt and he had lost more than twenty pounds in the past week. He looked like a mere ghost of himself, but Danny was relieved to see his eyes were open and focused as they walked in. A small whiteboard and marker were by his hand. The ventilator was quiet as Jamie was breathing unassisted but the tube remained in his throat.

Danny immediately went to his brother's side and embraced him, kissing him on the top of his head. "Jamie, thank God," he breathed, holding both sides of his brother's face and looking in his eyes. "Kid, you don't know how good it is to see you awake."

Jamie's eyes crinkled in a small smile as Danny backed away. Without looking down his hand scrawled something on the whiteboard. "U look awfl," he wrote.

The tension was broken and everyone laughed. Frank breathed a sigh of relief as he had prepared himself to face a bit of Danny's wrath when he saw him this morning. Instead all he saw was genuine happiness etched on his oldest son's face. "Thank you, Linda," he mouthed behind his son's back.

Danny grinned. "Yeah kid, I know. So I've been told. You really put me through complete hell this past week," he replied.

"Sorry," Jamie scribbled.

"No kid, _I'm_ sorry," Danny stated emphatically, grabbing Jamie's left hand. He finally had the opportunity he had been praying for since that stupid misguided phone call he'd made that night. "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you when I needed to be. To come through something like this," he paused. "Jamie, you're just about the strongest person I know. I'm so proud of you kid, I know you can do anything you set your mind to and I'm going to make sure you always know that I believe that from here on out, okay?"

Jamie nodded and his eyes closed as he relaxed back against the pillow. He still held his brother's hand.

Dr. Holden entered the room with a nurse, apologizing for the delay. "All right, Jamie," she said as she made some preparations, "I know how anxious you are to get rid of this breathing tube. On the count of three I want you to cough as hard as you can and then relax and try to breath normally afterwards. I do not want to you try to speak at all, your throat has been traumatized for the past week and you're going to need some time and speech therapy before your voice comes back, okay? Ready? One… two… three…" and just like that the tube was out and the nurse was finished suctioning. She offered Jamie a sip of water through a straw and then placed a nasal cannula on his face. His eyes closed as he concentrated on each breath. Everyone looked up at the oxygen level and was relieved to see it holding steady in the mid-90's.

"Great job, Jamie," Dr. Holden said, "you've been an outstanding patient. Now get some rest and we'll work on getting you back to good health as soon as possible."

"Thank you," Jamie mouthed.

"You're very welcome," Dr. Holden replied, pleased with the outcome. "Remember, no talking. I'll be back to check in on you later." She nodded her goodbyes as she left the room.

Frank stood at the foot of the bed and patted Jamie's leg. "I'm proud of you, son," he said with a radiating smile. "Now, I think maybe Jamie and Eddie could use a minute alone before the cavalry gets here and Pop and Erin come in to mother hen him," he said, looking at Danny and Linda. "C'mon, I'll buy you two some breakfast down in the cafeteria while we wait for them." He grabbed Danny's shoulder and pulled him in for a hug.

Linda, Danny and Frank made their way out of the room, and Jamie was suddenly nervous to be alone with Eddie. He remembered bits and pieces of their conversation before he was taken to surgery, but the drugs had played tricks with his mind and he wasn't certain of all that had happened. Eddie gave him a reassuring grin and pulled a chair over to the side of the bed. Her hair was down and she was wearing jeans and that same blue sweater she'd had on before work the day this all started. Jamie did not think she had ever been more beautiful.

"So Reagan, is your dad always this relentless as a matchmaker?" she smirked as she took the water cup the nurse left behind and held the straw up to his lips. Jamie gratefully took a drink. Suddenly his throat felt drier than he ever thought possible. Eddie read his expression, "Hey it's okay, and I know that everything must be a blur for you after what happened." He closed his eyes and nodded.

"Okay, then how about I answer your question with this," she said and leaned in and kissed him softly but passionately on his lips, cupping his cheek gently in her hand. Their eyes met as she broke away. "Better than a blink isn't it?" she smiled. "I've been waiting a long time for that. Yes, Jamison Reagan, I love you. I have since the first night we met. After the past ten days I am more sure of it than ever."

Jamie swallowed hard and took Eddie's hand up to his lips where he kissed it softly. He held it against his chest with his left hand and searched for the marker and white board with his right. She could feel his pulse racing and hoped that it would not cause a nurse to rush in. He drew a heart and 'U2' next to it.

Eddie's eyes beamed, "Oh Jamie, I know. Your dad, he knew it too. He told me I needed to tell you what was in my heart so you had a reason to come back, but then you said it first and I am so glad you did. Jamie... I was terrified that I was going to lose you, you were so sick. The doctor, she didn't give us much hope. I never want to let you go again."

Jamie just smiled and held her hand tighter. Finally, he thought as that weight he had been carrying lifted. He wondered why it had taken him so long to open up again. He remembered the dreams he'd had while unconscious, he knew now that his mother and Joe had been with him telling him to fight for Eddie and come back to her, he needed to be here with the family. He had so much to do yet. He knew they were right.

* * *

 _One more chapter after this to bring this story to a close. It was a fun experience! I am working on a follow up but it is just in the beginning stages so it will be a while before it is ready. Thanks so much to everyone who read, fav'd and reviewed!_


	16. Chapter 16

It was nearly a month later before the Reagan clan assembled one Friday evening for a belated birthday celebration. Sean had insisted they wait until Uncle Jamie was home and could attend too. After another ten days in the hospital, Jamie had been moved to a rehabilitation center to work on regaining some of his lost strength. It was difficult and he was often frustrated at the slow pace. While still weak, he had finally made enough progress to be released that afternoon. Eddie had gone to pick him up and Henry proudly pulled an extra chair to the table.

"See Francis," he said. "I told you Jamie would be bringing his pretty girl over to the house soon."

"You were right, Pop," Frank admitted with a wide smile. While Jamie was no where near fully recovered, his son had overcome long odds and was now headed in the right direction. He glanced at Mary's picture on the wall and silently thanked her again. Jamie had confided to Frank in the hospital what his father had already known; that he was certain his mother and brother's spirits had been with him.

The elder Reagan also knew they would be seeing a lot of Eddie for the next few weeks. The decision had been made that while Jamie was still recovering he would be staying at the family home so his grandfather could look after him during the day while she was on duty. When Renzulli had visited Jamie in the hospital he had been relieved to find his old boot was finally on the mend and Eddie had filled him in on their newfound relationship. It did not come as any great surprise to the Sergeant given the fact that he had been present to watch the events unfold in the waiting room that first night, and she had used all of her sick days to be a near constant presence at the hospital. Renzulli had made some references to 'lovebirds' and commented it was "about time, Harvard," before shaking Jamie's hand to congratulate him. When Eddie had returned to work she was assigned a new partner.

It would be several months before Jamie would be ready to resume his duties but he had no doubt he would be back. He would miss taking the Sergeant's exam this year but that was the furthest thing from his mind. Right now he was just focused on taking one day at a time, sometimes just one step at a time. When Eddie pulled the car up in front of his father's house, Jamie gazed forlornly at the steep brick steps that led up to the front door. He knew even with the physical therapy he'd endured for the past few weeks he would be completely out of breath by the time he got into the house unless he had help. It certainly wasn't the way he imagined bringing Eddie to a family gathering for the first time. He leaned his head back against the headrest and closed his eyes. He hated being so reliant on others for the simplest actions.

"Maybe I should have asked you to park in the back instead," he said hoarsely.

Eddie guessed what he was thinking and reached over to squeeze his arm, "Reagan, you know I could totally carry your butt up there if I had to," she smiled. "It's okay Jamie, I'll move the car. You're getting stronger every day, your PT's said so. Pretty soon you'll be back at work whipping out that cape and outrunning perps again. But... until then I still get to drive, right lambchop?" she added playfully.

Jamie smiled; Eddie could always brighten his mood. "Thanks," he rasped, and leaned over to kiss her. Like his body, his voice was weak but slowly improving.

Just as their lips touched a loud honking horn interrupted them. Eddie giggled and Jamie dropped his head on her shoulder and sighed. It could only be Danny with his infamous timing. His brother's Jeep pulled in behind them and parked. Danny, Linda and the kids got out carrying shopping bags, pizza boxes and a cake. "Uncle Jamie, you're here!" both boys shouted as Jamie slowly opened the passenger side door. No getting past them now. "Wait until you see the cake, it has a big whale on it and we got your favorite ice cream!" Sean added.

Jamie smirked remembering that now infamous boat trip. "Yeah guys, wouldn't miss it," he said, barely louder than a whisper, as he slowly put his feet on the ground. Danny could see his brother was spent and needed some assistance.

"Hey boys, why don't you help your mom take the pizza and cake in the house," Danny said handing Sean the boxes he was carrying. "Make sure you get it set up in the dining room, okay? I'll be in with Uncle Jamie in a minute."

"Okay, Dad!" Sean said excitedly as he followed Jack and Linda up the walks.

"Thanks, Danny," Jamie said tiredly, not wanting the boys to see him struggling. He was already worn out from the drive over from the rehab facility. Eddie was busy getting his bags and silver walker out of the trunk. She unfolded it. He hated that thing with every living inch of his life but it was a necessary evil at this point.

"No problem, kid," Danny said as he grabbed a bag and reached down to help Jamie out of the car. "Here, let me give you a hand. You can use that contraption in the house but you're walking up those front steps with me." Danny helped Jamie stand and wrapped his arm around his shoulder for support. "I've got you little brother," he said as they made their way to the front door and into their family's arms.

Eddie smiled as she followed after them; the Reagan boys' relationship was mended and her own wish had finally come true.

\- fin -

 _See "Follow Your Heart" for a continuation of this story._


End file.
